Dateline: The Haunting - Who was Brooks Douglass and what happened to him? Disturbing details of the 1979 incident, revisited

Dateline episode "The Haunting" revisits one of Oklahoma’s most heinous wrongful convictions and sheds new light upon Brooks Douglass’ case, whose life was changed by the horrific events of 1979. Initially aired by NBC on May 27, 2011, and then in October 2022, the episode continues to resonate for its storytelling and also for Brooks and Leslie’s journey for justice.

Even after all these years, the echoes of the case have not died down. Now and then, it receives renewed public and media attention through Dateline and Oxygen True Crime’s broadcast, which explored the sequence of events in detail.

The Douglass family’s nightmare has become a true crime legend. Every time the episode gets re-released or finds its way back onto a streaming platform, the same questions start rising all over again: Who was Brooks Douglass? What actually went down that night in 1979? And how does one night of absolute horror end up rewriting someone’s life story?

Dateline: Who is Brooks Douglass, and what happened to him?

Brooks Douglass was a respected Oklahoma State Senator, attorney, filmmaker, and victim of one of the bloodiest family crimes ever to occur in U.S. history. Brooks’ life was transformed dramatically when he was shot at close range by someone at his rural family home outside of Okarche, Oklahoma, on October 15, 1979. Brooks was 16 when he was attacked.

Brooks and his parents, father Richard, a clergyman, mother Marilyn, and 12-year-old sister Leslie, were preparing for dinner when two strangers appeared at their door claiming to need a telephone. Brooks, being generous, let them inside.

As Dateline reported, the situation quickly turned threatening. Both intruders wielded guns: a .357 magnum and a double-barreled shotgun. They confined the family to the living room, tied their hands and feet, and asked for money and valuables.

During the ordeal, Leslie was separated from the others, taken to a bedroom, and raped by both men. As per Deadline, the attackers then returned to the living room, where they ate the Douglass family’s dinner while the four lay bound in terror.

After several hours of torment and psychological cruelty, the intruders, who were later identified as Glen Ake and Steven Hatch, decided to eliminate all the witnesses. As Brooks told Deadline, one intruder told the other to wait outside and “listen for the sound”.

Richard and Marilyn died at the scene, while Brooks and Leslie were seriously wounded but alive. Brooks was shot twice in the back, and Leslie three times.

Although Brooks was critically hurt, he managed to untie his mother's bonds using his teeth until he noticed she was already dead. He crawled to his father to try to soothe him while he was dying.

Recalling the events in conversation with Dateline, Brooks stated:

“I went over to my mom and was untying her ropes with my teeth. I was able to get a hold of them and I said, ‘I love you, Mom. I love you, Dad.’”

Leslie untied herself, got a knife from the kitchen to cut Brooks from his bonds, and they both escaped. Staggering towards their car, they ended up at a neighbor’s house asking for help, and managed to get to a hospital later.

The loss of both parents transformed the lives of the siblings overnight. Brooks and Leslie overcame their bullet injuries, but trauma persevered at a deep level. Brooks lived with church friends to complete schooling, and Leslie with extended relatives.

The trials of Hatch and Ake unfolded over several years; both kids testified several times in their cases. The execution of Hatch took place in 1996; Ake later got a life term, according to Dateline.

Despite extraordinary circumstances, Brooks moved on. He channeled his pain into purpose, attending law school and becoming Oklahoma’s youngest state senator at 27. He worked tirelessly for crime victim rights legislation, striving to ensure other survivors received meaningful recognition and support.

His advocacy extended to media and art: Brooks produced and starred in Heaven’s Rain, a film telling his family’s story and his journey toward forgiveness.

Brooks’ process of healing was extended and non-linear; he disclosed struggling with anger, dysfunctional relationships, and enduring sorrow for decades. As a turning point, he went to see Glen Ake inside prison and surprisingly forgave him, a move that became key to finding peace for him.

Brooks Douglass died on May 9, 2020, at 56 years of age from cancer, Dateline reported. He is remembered not only as someone who survived the unthinkable but as someone who transformed this personal tragedy itself into a legacy of education, advocacy, and rare compassion.

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Also Read: Dateline: Point Blank - A complete investigation overview of the Todd Chance murder case, explored

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